Top 10 high school football players: Minnechaug's Ben Sheehan making a strong case for Dagenais Award as sophomore

Minnechaug's Ben Sheehan is tough to tackle and even tougher to chase down. (Staff photo by David Molnar)

Each week MassLive.com will list the top 10 candidates for the Dagenais Award, WMass football’s top individual honor. The list, which has no bearing on who will actually get selected for the award at season’s end, will change weekly as teams and players rise and fall.

1. Zach Bartak, GreenfieldAfter a five-touchdown performance in Greenfield’s 36-28 win over Monument Mountain, Bartak holds on to his place atop this list. Bartak’s statistical resume is off the charts and he has lead Greenfield to a 5-0 start and the No.3 ranking in Division III in the latest MIAA Power Rankings. Not only does Bartak lead western Massachusetts in rushing yards (635) and touchdowns (20), he also ranks fourth in the region in passing yards, with 691. 2. Ben Sheehan, MinnechaugThe sophomore speedster led Minnechaug to a 21-7 victory over undefeated Northampton last week, rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown and making 2 receptions for 78 yards. Sheehan ranks third in WMass with 608 rushing yards, but he will need to take on an ever bigger load for the Falcons if quarterback Alan McDonald misses time due to the shoulder injury he suffered in Northampton. 3. KayJuan Bynum, PutnamAs he has for most of the season, Bynum leads WMass in passing yards, with 991. After posting his first stinker of the season against Westfield, Bynum rebounded with 299 passing yards and 3 touchdowns in Putnam’s win last week against Chicopee Comp. Despite sloppy play in back-to-back wins, Putnam took over the top spot in the MIAA’s Division II Power Rankings this week.4. Sha-ki Holines, Commerce

UConn is getting one heck of a player. Despite Commerce's 2-3 record, Holines is one of the most disruptive defensive players in WMass. He's probably best-suited as a college linebacker, but he doubles as a tight end at Commerce.5. Cody Williams, CentralWilliams’ two-game suspension stalled his Dagenais campaign. Despite his absence in Central’s 40-7 victory over East Longmeadow last week, the junior quarterback still ranks fifth in passing yards (675) in WMass and is arguably the region’s best passer. Central has taken over the top spot in the MIAA Divison I Power Rankings, but will have to face perenial power Longmeadow on Friday without Williams. 6. Robbie McClure, LongmeadowIn Longmeadow’s 49-0 dusting of Holyoke last week, the Lancers dominated the line of scrimmage once again. Despite playing without Frankie Elder, Longmeadow racked up 268 yards on the ground with seven different runners. The Lancers held Holyoke to -6 rushing yards. 7. Rishawn Harris, PutnamThe senior wide receiver ranks second in WMass with 375 receiving yards and in receptions, with 20. Harris and fellow senior Tavis Frazier make up the most dynamic wide receiver tandem in the region. 8. Tavis Frazier, PutnamThe other half of Putnam’s dynamic duo, Frazier ranks third in receiving yards (290) in WMass and is tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns (4). Frazier is averaging roughly 16 yards per reception. 9. Justin Carey, AmherstThe senior quarterback has thrown eight touchdown passes in his first three games, leading the Hurricanes to a 2-1 start. Carey has adapted well to the spread-option, ranking in the top five in passing yards per game in WMass. 10. Michael Slaughter, ChicopeeThe senior running back ranks fourth in WMass in rushing yards (573) to go along with seven rushing touchdowns. Slaughter had a rough go of it Sunday against West Springfield, but he busted loose for a 64-yard touchdown run and caught the winning 2-point conversion.Honorable Mention:Austin Sierra, LongmeadowDemetri Strange, MinnechaugSam Blake, East LongmeadowNick Abbott, West SpringfieldRyan Wilder, Turners FallsRJ Ramsden, NorthamptonLou Calabrese, LongmeadowJu'an Williams, Central